New report on Russia-Belarus gas and political relations

5 May 2005

President Vladimir Putin has told Belarus he wants integration on Russian terms or Belarus will face higher gas prices. A new report Friction or Fiction: The Gas Factor in Russian-Belarusian Relations examines this ultimatum and what is says about how Russian foreign policy is made.

In the case of Belarus, Russia has used the gas weapon as necessary particularly in realizing security and military goals. Belarus has received military concessions and political loyalty at a time when its neighbouring states were engaged in asserting their independence. The concessions were also a vehicle for integration on Russian terms.

The report also examines the relationship between the government and the state-owned gas monopoly Gazprom in light of the government's current clampdown on the energy industry.

Notes for editors:
Friction or Fiction: The Gas Factor in Russian-Belarusian Relations by Chloë Bruce, University of Vienna. The author is a former editor for the Economist Intelligence Unit. The paper is published by the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House.

Contact:
Keith Burnet, Press Office
+44 (0) 20 7314 2798

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